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Davido

Tafadzwa Zimoyo
Hope you had a lovely weekend and guess you managed to watch the MTV African Musical Awards dubbed the MAMAs. Let me take this opportunity to shed more light about the awards from my own thinking.

First, if they say it is about Africa, why are some countries left out?

Does it mean there is no good music from other countries or it’s just that they are ignorant?

Zimbabwe, for instance, is so talented and we are proud of our music. The challenge might be that most artistes do not know the channels through which to submit their works because if we have some big names like Brian Shoko scooping a Grammy Award, it means we have the potential.

Even though we were not represented at the awards, why not then invite us for some roles like award presentation so that the same people are not burdened with many roles on the night.

Some of the nominees and obvious winners had to take time to change clothes because they wanted to present an award.

Seriously, why then call it Africa yet we are not united in terms of the arts.

If you were not from Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa among other countries which top on DSTV then forget about having a piece of the MAMAs.

I had the VIP invite but chose not to go, because I would be dancing and ululating to music of other countries, let alone being bored and obstructed by flags from other countries which were being waved in the arena.

Hello, I am Zimbabwean and Zimbabwe is in Africa, organisers check your map closely. The other question is: Why did the organisers choose a United States-born comedian Anthony Anderson to host the prestigious awards?

Besides his dry jokes, he wasn’t fit to be the host on our soil because he seems to know little about African art.

You could tell that his opening act was more of a rehearsed thing yet it was supposed to come naturally. The comedian is good when in Europe and US, not when presenting African awards in Africa.

I shall not dwell much on his attire, because it was too ordinary to talk about.

Be proud of yourself, if it is about South Africa, then where was Trevor Noah. Remember it is about giving exposure and opportunity to the musicians but if we repeatedly get the same musicians entertaining us and giving speeches, etc, then it becomes a problem. They are just trying to be the Beyonces, Nicki Minajs and P Diddys’ of Africa. Again on social media, many countries joined the war with how they defined Africa.

However, I give credit to the organisers for other facets of the ceremony.

I watched the whole show about – 150 minutes – recorded it on the PVR Explora so to fully glimpse in my spare time. The stage and lighting itself was superb despite the not so stellar performances.

I can give the 6/10 for the ceremony, but just like our previous National Arts Merit Awards the props for the stage were below par.

However, we might say in South Africa they have resources and appropriate equipment that allows them to play around with the visual screens which are big enough to enchant those at home and in the auditorium.

I liked the red carpet affair and on that one Zimbabwe was well represented which left many guests green with envy.

Star FM’s Itayi Mutinhiri was among the invited guests who stole the limelight on the red carpet with her designer garment.

Keep it up, Itayi.

Meanwhile, on some progressive news MultiChoice Zimbabwe has put out a call for entries for the 2015 DStv Eutelsat Star Awards competition, a pan-African event that is open to all students between 14 and 19 years of age and which last year was won by a Zimbabwean, Jospeh Mahiya, of the Hellenic International Academy in Harare.

Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the call was being made to all Zimbabwean students to enter the competition, which has categories featuring production of posters or compiling essays and is focused on furthering understanding of satellite technology and how satellites benefit the Earth and all its people.

“The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards results from a partnership between MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat that started in 1999,” she said.

“This pan-African collaboration has over the years created meaningful engagement with students, the academic community and the scientific world. Since its inception, the competition has drawn more than 3 000 entries from across the continent and has helped stimulate a passion for science among young people.”

Entry forms for the competition are available from any MultiChoice office or can be downloaded from www.dstvawards.com. The deadline for entry is November 5. The competition comprises national and international adjudication, with first assessment of entries at country level by a panel of local judges who select country winners and runners-up.

A continental panel then selects the top four overall entries.

Last year the panel was chaired by European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who was assisted by a panel of industry experts, all of them highly impressed by the overall standard of the competition.

The overall essay and poster winners are eligible for a trip for two people to Eutelsat facilities in Paris, with the essay winner also invited witness a live rocket launch.

Runners-up win trips to South Africa as guests of MultiChoice Africa. Schools attended by the overall winners will also each receive a DStv installation, including satellite dish, television, state-of-the-art PVR decoder and free access to the DStv Education Bouquet. Results of the 2015 competition will be announced at an awards ceremony in February 2016.

“What is most exciting for us in Zimbabwe is that we have seen through the 2014 competition that it is possible for Zimbabweans to be winners and runners-up not only at their own national level but also at continental level, and we hope for a good entry this year to perhaps see if our country can achieve international winning status yet again,” said Dziva.

Onto local viewing, the much-waited soap “Wenera” is now screening on our national television.

It premièred last night and shows good direction and originality.

According, to producer and director of the soap, they got a contract with ZBC TV and bigger things are in the pipeline.

“We started shooting three weeks ago and I am happy with the turnout from the corporate world. ‘Wenera’ is about family matters,” he said.

The soap features top local actors, fashionistas, designers and musicians among others. It is being shot in Zimbabwe with some extra-territorial location scenes to be shot in the next episodes.

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